(Calgary) WestJet has begun cancelling some flights to prepare for a strike by its aircraft maintenance mechanics that could begin as early as Thursday night. About 40 flights have already been cancelled Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Alberta company.

On Monday, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), which represents some 670 aircraft maintenance engineers and other specialized positions at the carrier, announced it had served the company with a 72-hour strike notice, claiming that the management side broke off negotiations.

For its part, WestJet asked the federal Minister of Labor to refer negotiations to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which would then arbitrate the terms of a collective agreement.

The company maintains that pending this decision, it has no choice but to begin canceling flights, in order to “park aircraft in a safe and orderly manner.”

This measure allows the carrier to “proactively communicate with its guests and crews to minimize logistical issues” and avoid having to “abandon planes in a remote destination,” he argued.

The forty flights canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday affect around 6,500 passengers, according to the company, which nevertheless assures that it is offering help to those affected.

“We are extremely saddened to find ourselves in a position where we must activate our contingency plan and park our aircraft, due to the AMFA strike notice. We deeply regret the disruption this will cause to the travel plans of our guests and the communities and businesses that rely on our essential air services,” WestJet Airlines President Diederik Pen wrote in a statement.

“Following the near-unanimous decision of the membership to reject a generous tentative agreement that would have made our aircraft maintenance mechanics the highest paid in the country, with a 30% to 40% take-home pay increase in the first year of the proposed agreement, it is clear that the bargaining process has collapsed,” he continued.

“The union is now using the important travel plans of our valued guests to attempt to force a deal that would threaten the financial viability of our airline’s future,” in his opinion.

WestJet recommends that customers check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.

The union cited wages, outsourcing, hours and protection against layoffs as central issues in the bargaining process.